Harry Potter Midnight Madness. Not ashamed to admit it.

3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon:
Pick up Reserved Book Bracelet and free glow-in-the-dark glasses. I walked into Barnes and Noble and the guy at the Harry Potter table had two binders of people's names.
I said, "Can I reserve another book for tonight?"
He said, "You can get as many as you want!...I mean, within REASON."
He said," Would you like a free pair of glasses? They're glow-in-the-dark."
I said, "OH, well if they're glow-in-the-dark, of course!" I took about 12.

11 a.m. that same morning:
My mother-in-law Jo Ann asked me to pick her up a copy of the 7th book and also offered my sister and I her and John's doctoral robes for costumes. I called my sister Liz to let her know the exciting news.
I said, "Liz, I have costumes for us."
Liz whispered excitedly, "Oh!!! Costuummmmmes...did you get witch hats?!"
Sorry, no, I did not get hats. But Liz immediately claimed the cool Northwestern University purple robes with the floppy hat, so she was pleased. Erica (Liz's sister-in-law and godmother to her children) came along and wore Aaron's doctoral robes---not quite as flashy.


(Thanks Kim W., for taking this photo while writing your forum article!)

10 p.m. Friday night:
So we were in the 17 and up costume contest, but a girl with a toilet seat over her head won. Truely, her heart was in it (she was Moaning Myrtle). But below are the 1st and 2nd prize winner for children 7 and under. On the left was Dobby---sooo cuuuute---and on the right is "Quidditch Harry"---equally as cute but more jazzed at winning 2nd. My sister was taking a picture of him after the contest and a young couple walked by.
They said, "your son is sooo cute!"
Liz said, "He's not my son! I'm just taking a picture."
I'm pretty sure she followed up with something like "but he's cute enough to be!" or something clever like that.



Did i forget to mention that all the kids dressed as characters or Hogwarts students recited their favorite spell in the costume contest? "Stupify!" "Expellioramus!" There were only a few 13-16-year-olds with skirts that were too short.


Midnight, Saturday morning/Friday night:
We buy books! I also run into Deb White and her son, who is dressed as Harry. I stay up till 3 a.m. reading before Tim tells me turn off the light for the 40th time.

Mid-afternoon, Sunday:
Well, Jo Ann and I got our books, we read and read and read, and we both reached 749 (or whatever) by Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. However, staying up too late to read gave me a headcold. Sniff. WORTH IT!